Mad Girl's Love Song
by starrysky7
Summary: She was a whirlwind, a hurricane of sorts. And the disaster that was her, left nothing but destruction and heartache in her wake. Eventual Kol/OC, Klaus/OC
1. Chapter 1 - A Storm Rolls Into Town

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Tallie, everything belongs to their rightful owners. The title of this comes from a poem by Sylvia Plath.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One - A Storm Rolls Into Town<strong>

Tallulah Nightingale was not known for her cautiousness or care of consequences, so it was no surprise when she took a detour from her journey to stop at a bar. After all, she had no residing interest in joining her father in Mystic Falls. She predicated that this town would be no different from every other place she had lived while she was passed around from relative to relative, though, she thought that this one would be far more boring. What entertainment does a small town offer anyway?

The bar was old and run down, whose inhabitants consisted of some obnoxious college boys that believed that everyone in the bar cared about their conversation, the airhead girls that were fawning over them and a few seedy looking men that took far too much interest in her arrival.

It took only a bat of her eyelids and a few sultry words for the bartender to look over the fact that she didn't look over twenty-one and her lack of ID. It took all of about five minutes after she got her drink for one of the college boys to approach her. He was average height, not very muscular, with tanned skin, sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes. His speech was slurred and he kept looking over to his friends for encouragement,

"What's your name?" He asked, his eyes moving down to her chest

"My name" she said, a devious smirk on her face, "Is, you can go fuck yourself. Because you ain't getting any from me tonight"

"Now" he said, his face pulling into a frown, his voice lowering to sound more threatening she supposed as he put his arm around her chair, "That's not very nice. So, I'll ask you again. What's your name?"

"The answer hasn't changed" she spat out at him, his attempts to frighten her failing miserably, she started getting up from the chair but he blocked her path, "You better move, I'm not someone you want to piss off"

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked, grinning at her in a way she was sure he wouldn't be if he knew what she was capable of

"Maybe you should back off" came a masculine voice, as an arm pushed the boy out of the way

She turned to see a tall and broad man, with olive skin, dark brown hair and green eyes. He was quite good looking, and judging by the frightened look on the boy's face, they both knew the man was quite capable of beating the boy to a pulp. The boy sneered at her before returning to his friends, a defeated look on his face.

"I was handling it" she said to the man, "You didn't have to interfere"

"A simply thank you would have been enough" the man said, sitting down next to her, "And I could see that you were handling it, just thought I'd offer some assistance"

"The assistance wasn't needed" she said, "But thank you"

"So, what is your name?" He asked, smirking at her

She stared at him for a while, trying to deliberate whether she should tell him her name or not. He was attractive, and he didn't seem suspicious. But she knew she was lacking when it came to judgment of men.

"Tallie" she said, offering her hand to him, "And yours?"

"Mason" he said, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake, "Are you new around here?"

"Yeah, just moved here" she said bitterly, "Well, not here, Mystic Falls"

"It's a wonderful town" he said, in tone that made her unsure if he was joking or not, "Where are you from?"

"All over" she said, "I've lived in more places then I could count on two hands"

"I grew up in Mystic Falls" he said, "I've spent the last few years in Florida"

"Why would you come back?" She asked, astounded that anyone would return to what she suspected was a boring back water small town

"Family business" he said, shrugging his shoulders

"Family, they always have the habit of taking us places we'd prefer not to go" she said, setting down her drink and getting up

"Where are you going?" He asked

"I've got to call cab" she said, "I'm sure the one that brought me here has left"

"I've got a car" he said, "I could give you a lift"

A smile crept onto Tallie's face, she could tell where this was going, but failed to care about the repercussions. She needed a lift, and her father wasn't expecting her until tomorrow.

"Sounds good to me," she said, picking her duffel bag off of the ground, "Let's get outta here"

Mason followed her out of the bar, a feeling of accomplishment overcame her, maybe the town would be more interesting then she originally thought. She opened the door to his car and threw her bag into the back, turning around to see him standing behind her. It was only a few seconds before his lips were on hers, and her arms were around his neck, pulling him closer.

"I think we can take a detour," she said to him, a grin lighting up her face

The sunlight beamed into the room through the windows, hurting her eyes as she awoke in the arms of her bedmate. Mason was still fast asleep as Tallie rose from the bed, looking around the room for her clothes. She had managed to find her pants and bra but was unable to find her top. She knew there was no way she could walk out of there without a top, and she also quite liked that top, so she was intent in finding it.

"Are you planning on sneaking out without your top?" Said Mason, who had awoken from his sleep and found her top for her whilst she was busy tearing up his room in search of it

"Yeah, give your neighbours a good shock" she said, grabbing the shirt from him, "How scandalous would it be? Half naked girl doing the walk of shame from your room"

"You'd be the talk of the town" he said, laughing along with her, "Last night was fun"

"It was," she said, throwing the top on, "But sadly, we must part ways"

She picked her duffel bag from where she had dropped last night, she was glad that it didn't contain any breakables given how careless she had dispersed of it in favour of Mason's touch.

"It's a small town," he said, "Maybe I'll see you again"

"Probably" she said before walking out of the room

Tallie almost made it out of the house without coming into contact with anyone, when she turned a corner and collided into another body.

"Shit" she mumbled, looking up at the boy that she had run into. He was taller then her, muscular with olive skin, black hair and dark brown eyes, "Sorry"

"It's okay," he said, giving her a puzzled look, "Who are you?"

"A friend of Mason's" she said, it was a lie but this was a stranger that didn't need to know about her sexual exploits, "He was letting me crash here for the night"

"Okay" he said, obviously still unsure about her, "Well, I'm Tyler, his nephew"

"Tallie" she said, "It's nice to meet you, even if my face did just smash into your chest"

"Smash might be a bit extreme" he said, smirking at her

"And gently brushed against would be putting it mildly" she said, "It is a very hard chest, I could've broken my nose on your muscles"

"I'm sure," he said, his smirk widening as he moved to the side, "I guess I should be letting you get on your way"

"Yeah" she said, but she only made it a few steps before realising that she had no way of getting to her father's house, "Hey, Tyler. Would you mind giving me a lift? It's not far"

"Sure" he said, before leading her out of the house

The drive was as short as she promised, and she learned that Tyler was a student at the high school. She told him that she had just moved to town, but conveniently left out the part that she would be going to the same school as him. She assumed that they would see each other on her first day anyway, why ruin the surprise?

"Thanks for the lift" she said, as they pulled into the driveway

"No, problem" he said, "I'll see you around"

"I bet," she said, grabbing her bag before getting out of the car

Tallie flashed one last smile at Tyler, before approaching the front door of her new house. The house was two storeys, and larger then any other place she'd lived so far, not that she'd lived in any overly large houses. She approached the wooden door, and swiftly knocked on it. Almost straight after she knocked, the door opened, to reveal the man she recognised from the photo as her father. He was tall, probably 6'3, lean and slightly tan, with dark hair and eyes. She has his dark hair and complexion, but her mother's hazel eyes.

Peter Collins was an accomplished doctor who had just moved to Mystic Falls, and also just found out he had a teenage daughter in need of a guardian.

"Tallulah" he said, moving out of the way so she could come inside, "I wasn't expecting you until later today"

"I decided to come early" she said shrugging her shoulders, he didn't need to know that she was all but thrown out of her Aunt's house as soon as guardianship of her was transferred to him, "Surprise you"

Tallie looked around the house; the living room to her right had a couch and television, with a bookcase and some photos on the wall. She could see some boxes piled up in the corner, and figured that he hasn't finished unpacking yet.

"It's a nice surprise" he said, in assuring manner that she didn't believe for a second, she doubted that he really enjoyed finding out that he had a child that was basically being forced into his custody, "I have to go to work" he said, looking down at his watch, "Your bedroom is at the top of the stairs to the right"

"Thanks" she said, giving him a curt nod before following his directions to find her room.

The room was mostly empty, it was large, and contained only a double bed, a wardrobe opposite, with a desk to the side next to an empty bookshelf. He'd obviously not cared to properly furnish it, but at least the bed had sheets.

"I didn't know what you liked" he said, walking up behind her, "So I decided to leave it to you to decorate"

She just nodded in reply, before dumping her bag onto the floor; she supposed that she wouldn't be there for long so why bother unpacking. She never lived anywhere for a long time.

"I'll be gone for the day" he said, "You should probably unpack, get settled in"

"Why?" She muttered, "I won't be here long"

Peter just raised his eyebrows, but said nothing in return, not trusting himself to say the right thing. He had no practice with teenage girls, let alone ones that had been through what she had.

"I'm getting a ride with a colleague of mine, so my car will be yours for the day" he said, handing her a set of car keys, "Go out and see the town, maybe meet some friends. Here's some money for lunch, you can go to the grill, it's opposite the town square"

Tallie held in her scoff, she was sure that he wouldn't approve of any 'friends' she would make. She was positively sure that he would most definitely not approve of her actions last night, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Thanks" she said, taking the keys and throwing them on the bed, "I guess"

They heard the beeping of a car horn, and Peter gave a sigh. "That's my ride, here's your house key" he said, handing her another key that joined the other on the bed, "I'll be back for dinner"

"See you later" she replied

Peter gave her, what she considered to be, a forced smile before leaving her room. When she heard the closing of the front door, she let out a groan. She resented the idea of having to stay here, but it was better then where she was living before. At least it wasn't a two bedroom house for seven people that all seemed to hate one another.

She quickly got removed the clothes she had been wearing for two days, and instead put on denim cut-off shorts and a half top. Her Aunt had always been at her about wearing clothing she considered to be too revealing, but she never listened to anyone, lest of all that horrid cow.

She picked up the car and house keys from the bed and slipped them into her pockets, along with the money Peter had given her. She threw one of her jackets before stepping out of her room. She walked down the stairs, giving a flick of her wrist to close the bedroom door. She knew that using her powers had caused her nothing but trouble, but she couldn't help herself. She loved being a witch. And judging by the fact that she had just slept with a werewolf last night, she wasn't the only supernatural creature in town.

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><p><em>'Everywhere I go, I'm second to arrive. My reputation precedes me, and sometimes it skips out on the bill.'<em>

_Jarod Kintz_

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><p><strong>I hope<strong> **you enjoyed the first chapter, please remember to review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be out soon, and Tallie will meet more of Mystic Falls' inhabitants.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Where's My Thanks

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, everything belongs to it's rightful owners.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two - Where's My Thanks?<strong>

After some exploration of town, Tallie decided to take her father's advice and head to the grill for an early lunch... or late breakfast, she wasn't really sure what the time it was. The grill wasn't overly packed, and she walked straight to a table before looking down at the menu. Her stomach growled as she saw the other customers with their meals, she hadn't eaten a proper meal in days; more like months really, considering dinner at her Aunt's consisted on whatever take away she would bring home, if she decided to being food home at all.

"What can I get you?" Asked the server

"A burger please" she said, smiling up at him, he was quite cute

"Anything else?" He asked, writing down her order

"That's all" she said, nodding to him, "Thanks, Matt"

"How'd you-" he started answering, but she interrupted him by pointing to his chest

"Name tag" she said, chuckling to herself

"Right" he said, a slight blush growing on his cheeks, "I'll... just go and give your order in"

Tallie laughed as Matt retreated, casting her another embarrassed glance. To prevent her boredom while she waited for her food, she took to looking around at the people inside the grill. They all seemed rather boring, like the natural inhabitants of a small town. The idea of boredom and plainness was revolting to Tallie, like poison in her mouth, and she would rather die then be considered either of those things.

Tallie's eyes travelled towards the door, just as a boy she recognised as the boy that gave her a lift this morning enter. Tyler, that was his name. His gaze met hers, and she flashed him a flirty smile, which he quickly returned. He walked over to Matt, and Tallie could tell that they were talking about her. Maybe it was because they both kept looking over at her, or maybe her ears were burning.

"Do you know her?" Matt asked Tyler

"Yeah, gave her a lift from my house this morning" Tyler replied with a shrug

"Why was she at your house?" Asked Matt, frowning

"Dunno" said Tyler, "Said she was friends with my uncle and was crashing there"

"Why's she in town?" Asked Matt

"She said she just moved here" said Tyler, "Think I should invite her to the swim hole"

"You don't even know her" said Matt

"Yeah" replied Tyler, "But she's hot"

And with that, Tyler clapped Matt on the back and approached the table that Tallie was sitting at.

"Hey, nice to see you again" he said, sitting down opposite her

"I suppose" she said, intertwining her hands together in front of her as she leaned forward, exposing some of her chest, "How have you been? Have any dramatic events occurred since this morning"

"It's been pretty boring actually" he said, chuckling at her while his eyes locked down to her chest, "I'm having this get together at the swim hole near my house later today" he said, his eyes shifting back up to her face, "Do you wanna come?"

"It sounds like fun" she said, "I'd love to come"

"Great" he said, getting up from the table, "Do you need directions?"

"I think I remember how to get there" she said

"Right" he said, nodding to her, "Well, I'll see you later"

"Yes you will" she said, smiling at him in an almost sly manner

Tyler nodded to her again before exiting the grill, throwing her one last smile. Tallie smiled to herself. First day in the town and she was already invited somewhere. Maybe the town wouldn't be so bad after all, and if it was, well, then she would have to make her own fun.

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><p>After finishing her meal, Tallie had spent the rest of the day at home lounging around. It wasn't until well past midday that she finally decided to head to the swim hole. She quickly put on her swimmers, before putting her clothes back on. She grabbed the car keys before heading out the door. She didn't bother to leave a note for Peter telling him where she went, she figure he probably wouldn't notice she wasn't there anyway.<p>

The car ride was short, it was easy to figure out where to go, just follow the sound of drunken teenagers. She parked the car and got out, spotting Tyler next to the truck with the alcohol, she waved at him and started heading towards him.

"Glad you could come" he said, offering her a plastic cup,

"So am I" she said, flashing him that flirty smile of hers as she took the cup from him,

"What's your uncle doing here?" Matt asked Tyler

As Tyler walked away, Tallie turned around to see Mason. He was right about them seeing each other; she guessed it really was a small town. The pair exchanged a few words, none of which Tallie heard, it was times like these when she wished she had supernatural hearing.

As Tyler turned around and started walking back to them, Mason looked over at Tallie. He nodded at her, a smirk evident on her face, not one to be outdone; she raised her eyebrows and returned the smirk. Tallie walked forwards to meet Tyler, as Mason drive away.

"What was that about?" She asked

"Just telling me to move the party elsewhere when it gets dark" said Tyler

Tallie knew that it was a full moon, and that meant that Mason would be shifting tonight. She didn't know if Tyler knew that was the reason, so she decided that she might as well find out how much Tyler knew about his uncle.

"Why?" She asked

"So nobody ends up drunk and drowning" he said, with a shrug, "I don't know"

Tallie listened to his words to see if he was lying, she had found that if she concentrated then she would be able to tell if someone was telling the truth. And Tyler was. So he really mustn't know anything about Mason.

"Fair enough" she said, "Whilst I would like to get drunk, I would prefer not to drown"

They both started walking towards the water, and Tallie looked back to see Matt standing with a blonde girl. A vampire, and a new one at that. She wondered if Matt knew what his companion was. He didn't look afraid, maybe slightly annoyed, but there was no terror evident on his face. So, either he was unaware, or she didn't threaten him.

"So, what's the deal with you and my uncle?" He asked her

"Nothing" she said, but the disbelief was clear on his face

"You were sneaking out of my house this morning" he said, "I think I deserve an explanation"

"I needed a place to stay, he was being nice" She said, it wasn't a blatant lie, more like the twisting of the truth, "That's all"

"That's it" he said, "Nothing else"

"I swear" she said, "You know, maybe you should learn some lessons on hospitality from your uncle"

"Oh really" he said, cocking an eyebrow, "And why's that"

"Maybe, then it would be your bedroom I was sneaking out of" she said, suggestively

Tallie flashed a suggestive grin at Tyler, before stripping off her clothes, leaving her in just her swimmers, and running into the water. After resurfacing, she looked back at Tyler, who was staring at her with a bemused look on his face.

A few hours, and many beers, later and it was dark, and Tallie was finding herself more and more attracted to Tyler. She didn't know if it was the alcohol clouding her judgment, but she was currently letting him drag her through the woods.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, stumbling over a log

"I had to move the party, so I'm moving the party" he said, "It's right around this tree"

Tyler pulled her down stairs into what looked like a cellar of sorts, it was dark and there was moss growing on the walls. She didn't know why, but the place gave her a bad feeling.

"What is this?" Tallie asked him

"It's a room" he said, "Buried under my family's old estate"

"Creepy" she muttered

"No one will know we're down here" he assured her

"Really, well, what happens if you turn out to be a serial killer" she said, "I'd prefer not to die in a creepy cellar"

"I promise, I'm not a serial killer" he said to her

"Alright then, let's go" she said

Tyler smirked at her, and opened the door, turning on his flashlight and flicking it inside. She walked inside and he followed soon behind her.

"But if you do kill me" she said, jokingly, "I'll haunt your ass"

"Duly noted" he said, laughing

They continued on into the cellar a bit further, before Tyler grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Tyler pressed his lips against hers, the kiss may not have been the best she's had, but the buzz from the alcohol had definitely lowered her already limited inhibitions. The kiss soon turned into a full on make out session, which she was sure he'd try and continue on into something, not that she would stop him. But, then a feeling started in the bottom of her stomach, a gut feeling that something wasn't right, that there was some sort of danger present.

"Tyler" she said pulling away from him, "Stop"

"Why?" He asked her frowning

"Something's wrong" she said, looking back to the entrance

"Nothing's wrong" he said, moving his lips back to her neck

"No, I'm serious" she said, pushing him away, "Come on" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the entrance

"What's wrong?" He asked, just as they had climbed the stairs out of the cellar

"Just, trust me" she said, starting to walk back in the direction they came

"Could've just told me you weren't into it," said Tyler, following behind her

"I was and am into you, and in another situation I wouldn't have stopped" she said, continuing on, "Though, the idea of having sex in a cellar is a bit off putting"

"So, rain check then?" He said

"Most definitely" she replied

The pair of them just walked over a small bridge as two people came into their sight. Tallie recognised one as the blonde vampire Matt had been speaking to, the other was a guy, another vampire, but this was an older one.

"Hey" said Tyler, "What are you guys doing?"

"What are you doing?" Asked the guy in a defensive manner

As soon as the words left his mouth, a giant wolf lept into the blonde girl, pinning her to the ground. Tallie assumed that the wolf was Mason, and that he was the danger she was sensing. The vampire called out in fear as she tried to push the wolf off.

"_Onon de es_" she chanted, walking towards them as the wolf started whining, "_Sinj un Ctas_"

"What are you doing?" Asked the guy

"_On_ _Gu ol De_" she finished, the wolf let out a loud whine before getting off of the girl, and quickly retreating back into the woods

"What was that?" Asked the girl, frowning at her

"Would you prefer I let him kill you?" She asked, returning the frown

"No" the girl said quickly, "I was just surprised is all"

"Great" said Tallie, "Do I get a thank you for saving your life? Or are we all just going to go on our merry way now?"

"Thank you" said the girl, getting up from the ground

"Go and find Matt" the guy instructed her

"What about you?" She asked him

"I just want to talk to her" he said, nodding towards Tallie, "I'll catch up with you"

The girl spared them another look, before speeding off in search of Matt. The guy turned to Tallie, his face serious, showing no emotion.

"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" Tallie asked him

"You're a witch" he said, it was more of a statement then a question

"That would be correct" she said, "And you are a vampire, and that was a werewolf. Now that we're all on the same page, I think I'll head home"

Tallie started walking back to where she had parked her father's car, but the guy blocked her path.

"You can't compel me so don't even try" she told him, but he didn't move

"You can't tell anyone about this" he said, "It could do some serious damage"

"If I wanted to cause damage, I would've let your friend get killed," she said, "I don't mean harm to anyone"

The guy nodded at her, but kept his stony gaze on her a bit longer, before finally moving out of her way. She offered him a smile, as a show of good will, and stepped around him.

"I'm Tallie," she said over her shoulder as she walked away

"Stefan" he replied

"It was nice meeting you, Stefan," she said to herself, but she was sure he could hear her

The walk to the car was short and direct, she was pretty sure that she shouldn't be driving, given the amount of alcohol she had drunk that night. But she had no alternative of getting back to the house, and was sure that her father wouldn't appreciate her leaving his car here, and she didn't feel like hitch hiking her way back to town.

When Tallie arrived home, she could see that all the lights were on, so her father was obviously home. She got out and the car and walked up to the front door, and before she could even get her keys out, the door was flung open. Her father was standing there, his face red with anger, and steam all but blowing out of his ears.

"Where have you been?" He demanded

"I was invited to a party," she said, pushing past him to get inside, "Went later then expected"

"And you didn't think to tell me?" He asked, "Leave a note"

"I didn't think you'd care," she said, in a disinterested voice, as she climbed the stairs

"Well I do" he said, following her up the stairs, "Now, I don't know what boundaries you had before. But when you live in my house, you will follow my rules"

"Rules, boundaries" she yelled, spinning around to face him, "I've never had either of those in my life. Not that you'd know, you haven't been in it for the past seventeen years"

"And I want to make up for it" he said, "I'm trying to be a parent"

"Yeah, well I've never really had one of those" she said, turning away and continuing up the stairs, "So, excuse me if I'm not used to it"

Tallie stormed up to her room, slamming the door to the bedroom before collapsing onto the bed, letting out an annoyed groan. She was glad that Peter did not follow her; she had nothing more to say to him. He hadn't had any part in her life, and now he suddenly decides he wants to parent her. How dare he! How dare he try to discipline her! She knew that his attempts would fail, as everyone else's did, and he would soon give up. Everyone gave up on her.

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><p><strong>Please review and tell me what you think. The spell that Tallie, is a werewolf weakening spell, it you think it is incorrect or disagree with it's usage, please tell me.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3- Warnings And Parental Bonding

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Tallie, everything belongs to it's rightful owners.**

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><p><em>"All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair."<em>

_Mitch Albom_

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><p><strong>Chapter Three - Warnings and Parental Bonding<strong>

"Tallie" called out Peter from the kitchen, "We're going"

Tallie let out a disgruntled groan, but still got up off of the bed. She hadn't really spoken to her father since their fight, just civil words passed when they would be forced to speak. She didn't want to go to the stupid Mystic Falls Historical Society Volunteer Day, but Peter hadn't asked her to come, he told her. Besides, she hadn't really been out since that day at the swim hole. Maybe she'd see Tyler, and they could finish what they'd started.

She grabbed her jacket off of the bed, and walked down stairs. Peter was holding the door open for her, a frown was on his face, it seemed to be permanently etched into his forehead whenever he was in her presence.

Neither of them spoke for the whole drive, they just sat in silence, not even the radio was on. She was wondering when he would break and finally speak to her, if he would break. She didn't know what he was like, if he was as stubborn as she was. She only knew what her mother had told her, and that was vague at best; given that her mother only spoke about him if she was drunk, and she hardly even made sense when she was sober. Her grandmother would always stop her mother when she got into one of her retrospective moods, because they would normally lead into drunken ravings about Peter and how he hurt her.

Tallie rarely ever listened to her mother when she was drunk, she barely listened to her when she was sober, but something had always resonated inside of her when she heard about her father, always peeked her interest.

"Why did we have to come here?' she asked as she got out of the car

"To play a part in the community" he said, "Meet new people"

"I've met enough people," she grunted

"You can never meet enough people," he told her

A woman, who looked to be around Peter's age, maybe a little bit older, approached the pair.

"Ah, Carol" said Peter, obviously recognising her

"Peter, it's nice to see you again" she said, "And who's this?"

"This is my daughter", said Peter, turning his attention to Tallie, "Tallulah"

"I prefer Tallie" she said, a broad but forced smile on her face as she greeted the woman. If her father wanted her to play nice, then she would do it, just because she was sick of the silence between them

"I'm Carol Lockwood" she said, "It's lovely to meet you"

"What can we do?" asked Peter, and Tallie groaned inwardly. She hadn't want to come in the first place, let alone actually help. But she kept the smile on her face, not letting her annoyance show.

"Well, Tallie, you can go and help with the flowers," said Carol, pointing away from them to where there were pots of flowers stacked up

Tallie smiled at them before begrudgingly walking away towards where Carol had directed her. She picked up two pots of flowers; they were surprisingly heavy and one of them slipped out of her grasp. Before it could hit the floor, it was caught. Tallie looked up to see that it was Mason who had caught it.

"Thank you" she said, a blush growing on her face, embarrassed that she had dropped the pot

"No problem" he said, "Would hate to have you embarrassed"

"Yeah" she said, looking down at her feet

"Uh, listen" said Mason, "I just wanted to thank you, for what you did the other night"

"Don't mention it," she said, "I would prefer not to witness someone die, and I'm sure you'd prefer not to kill someone"

"Yeah" he said, "It was a brave thing to do"

"What are you two talking about?" Asked Peter, walking up to the pair

"He was just offering to help me carry some of these flowers" she said, "Manual labour isn't really my thing"

"That was nice of him," said Peter, but he remained tense

"We're just going to take these," she said, picking up the flowers, "Come on" she said to Mason

Mason nodded towards Peter, before picking up more flowers and following her.

"Who's that?" Mason asked her

"My father" she said

"Ah, protective dad?" He asked

"Kinda" she said, putting down the flowers, "He doesn't really trust me, especially since I came home late, that night"

"So, I guess it's kind of my fault" He said, "Sorry 'bout that"

"It's fine," she said, putting the pots of flowers down, "We don't have the best relationship"

"I'm sorry about that," he said, putting the pots down next to hers, "It was nice talking to you. I'll see you later" he said, before walking away

Tallie went back to work, bringing more pots of flowers over, this time making sure that she had a strong grip on the pots so as not to drop any and cause herself further embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice, and she turned around to see that it was Stefan

"Helping out the community," she said, straightening up to look at him

"That's generous of you," said another voice, as man walked up and stood next to Stefan, another vampire

"This is my brother, Damon," said Stefan

"Nice to meet you" she said, narrowing her eyes at the pair, as she shook Damon's outstretched hand, "Is there something that you want?"

"You seem pretty cozy with Mason Lockwood" said Damon

"We're just wondering what's going on," said Stefan

"He was thanking me for what I did the other night" she told them, "You know, when I helped save your friend"

"We know," said Damon

"Then maybe you shouldn't be acting like I'm some kind of enemy" she said, "I haven't done anything to either of you"

"Yeah, but, you might" said Damon

"I will if you don't back off" she said, raising an eyebrow at the pair as a scowl grew on her face, "And I'm warning you, I have a nasty temper"

"Well, so do I" said Damon, stepping closer to her, both of them eying the other off, neither willing to back down

"We understand," said Stefan, pulling Damon back, "We were just making sure that we're all on the same page"

"And what page is that?" she asked

"The page where you tell us what Mason Lockwood is up to?" asked Damon

"I'm nowhere near that page" she said, "I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I really want to"

"So, Mason hasn't said anything to you?" asked Stefan

"No" she said, "Not that we've really had all that many conversations"

"Okay" said Stefan

"So, there's no problem here?" she asked

"No problem" said Stefan

The pair of them then turned and walked away, leaving Tallie standing there incredibly confused. She wondered what Stefan and Damon where doing, and what Mason had to do with them. She just shrugged it off. It was vampire business, none of her concern.

* * *

><p>Tallie was extremely thankful when she got home; all the manual labourer had her exhausted and she was absolutely starving. As soon as she got up to her room, she collapsed onto her bed, only looking up when she heard the door open.<p>

"We need to have a chat," said Peter, walking over and sitting down beside her on the bed

"About what?" She asked, sitting up

"About the other night" he said, "The things that we said"

"I'd rather not" she muttered, but looked up at him, waiting for him to start

Peter took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. He had been planning what he was going to say all day, but planning was a lot easier then doing.

"I know, that I haven't really ever been apart of your life," he said

"You think" she muttered

"And I want to apologise for that" he continued, "I didn't even know you existed until a few months ago. If I had known, then I would've been apart of your life, but your mother, for whatever reason, decided not to tell me about you"

"I can't, give you back the years I missed, but I want to make up for that" he said, "And I'm not planning on either of us going anywhere anytime soon"

"You say that now" she said

"And I'll say that in a month, and a year" he said, "I'm not going to abandon you"

Tallie looked down at her lap, where her hands were knotted together. She wanted to believe him; she desperately wanted to trust him. But she'd been let down so many times before. How would he be any different?

"But, there will be rules" he said, causing her to groan, "Yeah, for one, if you go out, you need to tell me" he said, "You almost gave me a heart attack the other night"

"Is that all?" She asked, a faint smile pulling at her lips

"Don't have any parties here if I'm not here" he said, "And no boys in your room" he told her, causing her to laugh, "In fact, no boys at all, no boyfriends"

"Any other conditions?" she asked

"Yeah" he said, "Can you just try to settle in here? I really want us to be a family, we can be happy here"

"Okay" she said, tears starting to come to her eyes

"Alright, that's enough parenting for one night" he said, getting up, "I ordered pizza, I'll call for you when it arrives"

Tallie wiped the tears from her eyes, genuinely touched by Peter's efforts to build a relationship with her. In the short time that she had been living with him, Peter had shown her more care and attention then her mother had in years.

She got up from the bed, picking up her bag of clothes and placed it on the bed, unzipping it. Tallie slowly began to take out her clothes, folding them up and placing them in the drawers.

"The pizza's here" said Peter, appearing in the doorway

He looked down at her almost empty bag, and a smile broke out on his face.

"Shut up" she said jokingly, walking past him

Peter just laughed at her, as he followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tallie got down two plates, before grabbing two slices of pizza. She quickly scoffed down both the pizzas, before reaching for a third.

"Slow down" said Peter, "You'll a stomach ache"

"Sorry" she said, slowing down her chews before swallowing, "I'm used to having to fight for food, or not eating"

Peter looked down at his plate, shame and guilt evident on his face, and Tallie wished that she hadn't said anything.

"I'm sorry that you had to do that," said Peter, "Living with you aunt must have been…"

"Terrible" she said, "But it's okay, things were good before that, when I was living with my Uncle Nate"

"I didn't know your mum had a brother," said Peter, frowning in confusion

"She doesn't" said Tallie, "Nate was my step-father's brother"

"What happened to him? Asked Peter

"He died," said Tallie, looking down at her plate as she gulped down the tears

"I'm sorry," said Peter

Tallie nodded, unable to say anything in fear that she would not be able to stop the oncoming tears. She hadn't wanted to speak about Nate; it had just sort of slipped out. She shivered at the memories, of coming home to find Nate's lifeless body. The doctors had said that he had suffered a brain aneurysm.

Peter looked over to her, and desperately wanted to change the topic of conversation, as he could see how much pain she was in.

"So, what's with you and Mason Lockwood?" He asked, "Do I have to be concerned?"

"No" she said, it wasn't a complete lie, there wasn't anything between her and Mason, so Peter had nothing to worry about. Tallie just decided to leave her indiscretions with Mason out of the conversation, "There's nothing to be worried about"

"Good" said Peter, getting up and placing his plate and the dishwasher, "Because the age gap was a little worrisome"

* * *

><p><strong>Not a long chapter and not much action, I wanted to establish Tallie's character a bit more in terms of personality.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 - Making Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides Tallie, everything belongs to it's rightful owners.**

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><p><em>"Make friends before you need them"<em>

_Unknown_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four - Making New Friends<strong>

Tallie was standing in the kitchen, buttering a slice of bread in order to make herself a sandwich, when Peter walked into the room. He was running late for work and so was in quite the rush.

"There's a masquerade ball tonight, at the Lockwood's" he told her, "I would like you to come with me"

"Why?" she asked, picking up her finished sandwich as she turned to look at him

"Because, it's a good place to meet people" he said, "Make friends before you start school tomorrow"

"Should I really be going out the night before my first day of school?" she asked

"I'm sure you'll be fine" he said, "I've got to go, I left some money out for you to buy something to wear"

"This isn't negotiable" she said, "Is it?"

"Nope" he replied, "I'll see you when I get home"

* * *

><p>The masquerade ball had proved itself to be quite boring, and Tallie regretted agreeing to come. She could feel the magic that was occurring and was trying to find where it was coming from, which lead her towards the gardens. She walked further away from the house, and she heard faint voices. The voices became clearer as she started running towards the direction they were coming from.<p>

"She's linked," said a girl, "She's linked to Katherine, Jeremy get them to stop"

A boy run past Tallie, but was too intent on wherever he was going and planned on doing to notice her. She approached the two girls that had been speaking; one was kneeling over in pain as blood poured out from wounds. The other girl sitting next to her, the one that had instructed the boy, Tallie could tell that she was witch.

"What's going on?" Tallie asked, as she approached them

"Nothing" muttered the witch

"Like hell" said Tallie

"Bonnie" said the girl with the wounds, "It hurts"

"I can't break the spell, Elena, I'm sorry," said the girl named Bonnie, "But I can try and take some of the pain away, okay"

The girl, Elena, nodded and Bonnie started chanting. Tallie moved forward, kneeling down beside them.

"Take my hand," she instructed Bonnie, holding her hand out for her to take, "Channel my power"

"What?" she asked

"There's no time for questions," she said, looking over to Elena, "Hurry"

"Okay" said Bonnie, taking the hand that Tallie had offered and continued chanting.

"Are you okay?" asked the boy who had run past Tallie

"Are they?" Elena asked

Tallie didn't know who 'they' were, or what was happening at all really, so she just focused her energy on channelling her power into Bonnie.

"They're stuck in their with her" he said, "You were right, Katherine had a witch link Elena to her"

"That girl I saw" said Bonnie, stopping her chanting as realisation grew on her face, "The one inside" she said, getting up, "Stay with her keep pressure on her shoulder" she instructed the boy

"Where are you going?" he asked her

"I'm going to find her," said Bonnie, "Can you continue the spell?" Bonnie asked Tallie

"Yeah" Tallie replied, "Of course"

"Great" said Bonnie, before running off inside to find the witch

"_Asinta Mulaf Hinto_" Tallie chanted, holding Elena's hand, "_Sho Bala_"

Tallie continued to chant, closing her eyes and focusing all her power onto this one spell. She didn't know how long it took, but finally, Elena's pain stopped and Tallie could feel the linking spell break. Exhausted, she finally stopped chanting, and let go of Elena's hand as she slumped down.

"You should be fine now," she told her

"Thank you" said Elena

"No problem" she replied, "I'm Tallie by the way"

"Elena" she replied

"Jeremy" said the boy

"Nice to meet both of you" said Tallie, "Shame on the circumstances though"

It took Tallie a few minutes to rest, before regaining enough energy to get back up to her feet.

"I'd best be getting back" she said to the pair, before starting to walk back to the house

Tallie had definitely not been expecting this outcome, she had thought that the evening would be boring and uneventful, boy had she'd been wrong.

* * *

><p>Tallie was walking down the school hallway, eager to get to class, not because she actually wanted to be there, but because she was sick of everyone staring at her. She hated being the new girl, and no matter how many times she did it, she would never get used to it.<p>

"Hey" she heard, turning around to see the witch from the masquerade ball

"Hey" Tallie replied, "How's your friend?"

"Better" she said, "Thanks for your help. I'm Bonnie"

"Tallie" she replied, "It wasn't a problem" she said, with a shrug of her shoulders, "Us witches have got to stick together" she said, in a hushed voice so nobody heard her

"Yeah" said Bonnie, "When did you move here?"

"Almost a month ago" she said, "What about you?"

"No, I grew up here," said Bonnie, "Lived here all my life"

"I would love to have lived in one place my entire life" said Tallie, "Much better then moving around, in my opinion" she said, "So, was there something you wanted to know? Or was this just a friendly chat?"

"Both, I guess" said Bonnie, "I haven't really met that many witches"

"What about your family?" Tallie asked, "Aren't they witches?"

"My grams was" said Bonnie, a sad look passing over her face, "But she died"

"I'm sorry," said Tallie, "My grandmother was the one that taught me, but she died when I was ten. Breast cancer, she was an almighty witch but it was cancer that took her"

"I'm sorry" said Bonnie, "I'm still learning a lot"

"You never really stop learning," said Tallie, "I don't know everything. After my grandmother died, I was pretty much left to teach myself"

"What about your parents?" asked Bonnie

"My mother is a witch, but she was never really there much to look after me, let alone teach me anything" said Tallie, "I only just met my father when I moved here, but I'm pretty sure he isn't a witch"

"Yeah, I don't really see either of my parents," said Bonnie

"I learnt a lot of what I know from other witches I've met" said Tallie, "I don't know about you, but I always feel pulled to other witches. I was told that it was natural for witches to seek others out. That's how I found you"

"You knew I was a witch?" asked Bonnie

"Yeah, call a gift, or whatever," said Tallie, "I can sense the presence of supernatural creatures"

"That's a pretty cool gift," said Bonnie

"It's not always accurate" Tallie assured her

"Bonnie" called out a voice, and they both turned to see Stefan walking towards her

"We'll talk later," said Tallie, smiling at Bonnie before walking away

* * *

><p>"Tallie" a voice called out, and she turned around to see Bonnie coming towards her, "I need to ask a favour"<p>

"Sure, what is it?" she replied

"Elena, the girl you helped last night," said Bonnie, "She's gone missing"

"What do you need me to do?" asked Tallie

"I'm going to try doing a locator spell," said Bonnie, "Can you help?"

"Of course" she said

"Great" said Bonnie, "Let's go"

Bonnie walked off, with Tallie following close behind her, and led them both into a classroom.

"How does this work?" asked Jeremy, laying a map down on the table

"I'll use your blood to draw the energy for the tracking spell" said Bonnie, "You're blood related, it'll make the connection stronger"

"Alright" said Stefan, walking into the room and closing the door, "Alaric said we gotta clear out of here within ten minutes, I got weapons, he stocked me up"

"Are you ready?" Bonnie asked Jeremy, who nodded

Bonnie reached over, and used a knife to cut open his palm, drawing blood, that was then dropped onto the map. Tallie looked over at Stefan, who looked visibly uncomfortable at the sight of blood, and Tallie wondered what was wrong with him. He was a vampire, shouldn't he be used to blood.

Tallie and Bonnie joined hands, and both started chanting, as the blood started to slowly move down the map. The blood slowed down and stopped, as did their chanting.

"There" said Bonnie, "She's there"

"That's three hundred miles away," said Jeremy

"No, Bonnie" said Stefan, "We need a more exact location then that"

"That's as close as we'll get," said Tallie, "It's closer then you were before"

"We can map it, aerial view," said Jeremy, "It'll show us what's around there, help us narrow down the area"

"Perfect" said Stefan, as he started to walk away, "Call me with what you find"

"No" said Jeremy, "I'm coming with you"

"No, Jeremy" said Stefan, "You're not"

"I'm not just going to sit here," said Jeremy, "What if she's hurt, or worse"

"She's not" said Stefan, "You two go back to your house, and call me the minute you find something"

Tallie looked over to Bonnie, noticing the blood that had just dropped from her nose onto the map. She moved her hand to check her own nose, but there was no blood.

"You okay?" she asked Bonnie

"Yeah" answered Bonnie, "I'm fine"

"No, you're not" said Tallie, looking over to where Stefan was talking to Damon, who had just appeared in the doorway, she lowered her voice before she began talking so that they wouldn't hear her, "You're using too much magic, you're going to hurt yourself"

"I'll be fine," Bonnie assured her, but Tallie was not convinced, "How come you didn't get a nose bleed"

"I've been using magic longer then you" said Tallie, "Believe me, I've had my fair share of nose bleeds from overusing magic"

"Bonnie" said Jeremy, walking up to them, "I'm going to head back to my house to wait for news, do you want to come?"

"Yeah" said Bonnie, before turning to Tallie, "Do you want to come?"

"I should probably get to class" Tallie replied, "My dad would kill me if I wagged school on my first day. Call me if you need me help, though"

"Okay" said Bonnie, "Thanks"

"No problem" said Tallie, smiling at them before walking out of the classroom

* * *

><p>Tallie had just walked out of class when she felt a hand grab her arm, she turned around to see the vampire she had saved from Mason coming towards her.<p>

"Hi" said the girl,

"Uh, hi" said Tallie, wondering what this was about

"I just wanted to thank you, I haven't really gotten a chance to" she said, "I'm Caroline, by the way"

"Tallie" she said, "There's no need to thank me, it was nothing really"

"Well, if it wasn't for you" she said, before looking around the room and lowering her voice, "I'd be werewolf dinner"

"Yeah, I can't imagine being eaten by a werewolf would be pleasant" said Tallie, "But then again, they always say don't knock it till you try it" she joked

"Is this your first day?" asked Caroline

"Yeah, and I'm a bit lost" said Tallie, "But I've managed to find all of my classes so far, surprisingly"

"Where are you from?" asked Caroline

"I moved from Richmond" said Tallie, "But before that, I lived in Washington, Baltimore and New Orleans, but I was born in Charlottesville"

"You've really been all over the place," said Caroline

"Yeah" said Tallie, not wanting to elaborate on how her mother would constantly move from place to place, seemingly every time that Tallie would get settled, paranoid about 'someone' finding them, "That's an understatement"

"So, why did you move here?" she asked

"To live with my dad" answered Tallie, "He got a job at the hospital here"

"I've only ever lived here," said Caroline,

"And you don't find it boring, even in the slightest?" asked Tallie, "People always say that nothing ever happens in small towns"

"Oh, it's definitely not boring," said Caroline

Tallie supposed not, what with all the supernatural creatures that seemed to inhabit the small town, drama seemed to always ensue.

"I suppose it isn't really quiet," said Tallie, "How long has it been? Since you turned?" Tallie asked her, "If that's not too personal" she quickly added, "It's just, I can tell you're a pretty young vampire"

"It hasn't been very long at all," said Caroline, "How did you know?"

"It's a gift I have, I suppose," she answered,

"Pretty cool gift" said Caroline, turning her head and spotting Tyler, "I better go," she said, as soon as Tyler saw her

As Caroline ran off in the opposite direction of Tyler, Tallie moved her eyes to look at him, and that's when she noticed the change. He was different, no longer human. He was a werewolf. Tallie immediately turned, and ran after Caroline.

"Hey" said Tallie, catching up at to her, grabbing her arm so that she'd stop, "You're avoiding Tyler, why?"

"I'm not avoiding him," said Caroline, but she did a terrible job of lying, and Tallie would've known she was lying even without her gift

"You are" said Tallie, lowering her voice so that no one heard what she was about to say, "It's because he's a werewolf, isn't it?"

"How do you know?" asked Caroline

"Gift, remember" said Tallie, "When did he turn? Because he wasn't a werewolf before"

"Last night" said Caroline, "At the masquerade ball"

"Who did he kill?" Tallie asked, "That's how you trigger the curse"

"It was an accident," said Caroline, "She was compelled to try and hurt him so that he'd trigger the curse, he didn't mean to kill her"

"Who compelled her?" asked Tallie

"Katherine" said Caroline, "She's a vampire, she needs a werewolf, so she organized for Tyler to trigger the curse"

"What does she need a werewolf for?" asked Tallie

"To break some curse" said Caroline, "I've really got to go"

"Okay" said Tallie, "Be careful around him, werewolves are dangerous, especially to vampires"

"I know" she said, "I will"

Caroline smiled at her, before walking off, leaving Tallie wondering what was going on in this small town that was now her home. It definitely wasn't as boring as she originally predicted it would be. Tallie turned around, and ran straight into Tyler's chest.

"What were you talking about?" he asked her

"About where I'm from" said Tallie, "Other personal stuff. Why?"

"Just wondering," he said, looking in the direction that Caroline had gone in, "Have you heard from my uncle?" he asked, turning his gaze back to her

"No, nothing" she said, "Why? Did he leave town?"

"That's what my mum said," he told her, "I don't know, I just thought he might have said something to you"

"If I hear from him, I'll tell you," she promised

"Thanks" said Tyler, before walking away from her

Tallie was left wondering what had happened to her one time werewolf lover. She assumed that he must have left town, but something about the situation seemed suspicious to her, and obviously Tyler as well. Caroline had said that Katherine needed a werewolf, and since she wanted Tyler to trigger the curse, then that meant that Mason was out of the picture. Now she just had to figure out, how he was removed.


	5. Chapter 5 -Confusion and Peeked Interest

****Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides Tallie, everything belongs to it's rightful owners.****

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><p><em>"The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it." Lisa Unger, Beautiful Lies<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five - Confusion and Peeked Interest<strong>

Tallie was sitting on Caroline's bed, eating some of the chocolate that she had found in the cupboard. She felt slightly awkward around the group of girls, she felt as if she was intruding. Though, feeling like an outsider was not a new feeling for Tallie. But she was glad that Bonnie had invited her along for their sleepover.

"Um, Tallie" said Elena, "Thank you for helping me the other night"

"It really wasn't a problem" said Tallie, she was kind of over getting thanked, but she supposed, if she wanted to stop being thanked she should probably stop helping, "I'm just glad I could help, with whatever the hell was going on. What was going on?"

"Katherine, linked me to her so that Stefan and Damon wouldn't kill her" said Elena

"Well, I suppose that's one way to avoid being staked," said Tallie, "Where is she now?"

"Trapped in a tomb" said Elena, "Hopefully never getting out"

"That's the 'Katherine' you were talking about" Tallie said to Caroline, "Isn't it?"

"Yeah" Caroline answered, "She's one psychotic bitch"

"I can tell," replied Tallie, "What did she want?"

"Me dead" said Elena, "Stefan back"

"Crazy ex-girlfriend?" asked Tallie

"That's putting it mildly," replied Elena

"Why did they trap her in a tomb?" asked Tallie, "If you two aren't linked anymore, why not just kill her?"

"Any vampire that enters the tomb can't leave," said Bonnie

"And, every time we're about to finally be rid of her" said Elena, "She reveals some bit of information that means we need her alive"

"At least she's a smart crazy bitch," said Tallie, causing them to laugh, "What little tidbit is keeping her alive now?"

"She has the moonstone" said Bonnie, "And apparently knows a lot about the curse, and those trying to break it"

"Moonstone?" said Tallie, "The Sun and Moon Curse?"

"That's the one," said Elena

"Who's trying to break it?" Tallie asked

"Original vampires" said Elena

"Who's the doppelganger?" asked Tallie, "You need a werewolf, a vampire and a doppelganger, to break the curse"

"I am" said Elena, "I'm Katherine's doppelganger, or she's mine, I'm not sure how this all works"

"This town gets more and more interesting," said Tallie, "Supernaturally speaking. I mean, vampires, witches, werewolves and now doppelgangers. What's next? A yeti?" she said, causing them to laugh

"It's possible," said Caroline

"Why do the original vampires want to break the curse?" Tallie asked

"That's what we want to know," said Elena

"Anything else you need to tell me?" asked Tallie, "Or is that all the current supernatural drama?"

"That's about it," said Bonnie

"Well, at least that's it" said Tallie, "It could always be worse, somehow"

"I guess" said Elena, "So, where did you move from?"

"Richmond" she said, "My dad works at the hospital here"

"What about your mum?" asked Caroline

"Um, I haven't seen her in a few years" said Tallie, "She's not really the motherly type"

"I'm sorry" said Caroline, "I didn't know"

"It's okay" said Tallie, "I got over it a long time ago"

"How are you finding Mystic Falls?" asked Elena

"A lot more interesting then I thought it would be" she answered, "I was not expecting so much drama, I thought I would be bored"

"It's definitely not boring here" said Caroline,

"Yeah" she said, "Thanks for inviting me, it's nice to be included"

"Of course" said Bonnie

"Yeah, besides, who doesn't like a sleep over" said Elena, "Especially when you don't want to go home"

"Why don't you want to go home?" Asked Bonnie

"John's back in town, and right now I want to be as far away from him as possible" said Elena

"Who's John?" Asked Tallie, very confused and feeling like she missed something very important

"My biological father" said Elena, "We, don't exactly get along"

"Trust me, I understand" said Tallie

"What do you mean?" Asked Caroline

"My dad, he's my biological father" she said, "The first time I met him was when I moved here"

"I guess you really do understand" said Elena

"Yeah, I have a better relationship with him though" she said, "I mean, I'm not currently avoiding him at all costs, but there's always tomorrow for that" she joked, "At least he's better then my mother"

"Why?" Asked Caroline, "What's she like?"

"Well, the last time I saw her was two years ago when she decided she couldn't handle being a mother and decided to hand me off to my step-fathers brother" she said

"Oh my God" said Bonnie, "I'm so sorry"

"It's okay, I'm over it" she said, shrugging, "I just wish she'd done it sooner, I loved living with my Uncle Nate"

"But, let's change topic" she said, not wanting to talk about her past anymore, "What about your love lives?"

"I'd rather not" said Caroline, "Things with Matt and I, aren't going very well"

"What's wrong?" asked Elena

"It's, just really difficult" said Caroline, "Because he doesn't know about vampires and witches, and everything else"

"Maybe you should tell him" suggested Tallie

"But, what if he doesn't react well" said Caroline

"I don't know what to tell you" said Tallie, "You're stuck between a rock and a hard place"

"That's helpful" Caroline replied

The group continued to their conversation well into the night, until, they were finally all exhausted enough to fall asleep.

_Tallie was standing in the middle of the Grill, it was completely empty, not a single soul there but her. She tried to take a step, but found that her feet would not move even an inch. They felt like they were glued to the ground._

_The bar suddenly erupted into flames, the fire licking at the wood, but the wood did not burn. In fact, it looked hardly effected by the flames. The flames grew, making a trail along the floor, towards Tallie._

_She tried to run away from the fire, but her legs and feet were refusing to work. The fire moved closer, circling around her, preventing her escape, even if she could move. She could feel the heat of the flames, as they grew in intensity, building up into a wall around her. _

_Tallie let out a scream, before feeling herself being pulled away from the flames by an invisible force, as she heard her name being called._

She opened her eyes, quickly sitting up, before looking around her. It was a dream, nothing more. But it had felt so real to her.

"Are you okay?" Asked Bonnie

"Yeah, I'm fine" she nodded, "Just a dream"

"Okay" said Bonnie, "Goodnight then"

Tallie smiled at Bonnie, before laying back down. She was still shaken from the dream, but she was trying to figure out what it meant. If it meant anything.

* * *

><p>Tallie was wandering around the halls, she hadn't wanted to come to the Historical Society Tea Party in the first place, but her father had insisted she accompany him. And then he all but abandoned her as soon as they arrived, left her to entertain herself in favour for talking to his friends.<p>

Tallie turned the corner, and came face to face with a man. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes. A vampire, and a very old one at that.

"I don't believe we've met," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Elijah"

"Tallie" she said, taking his hand

As soon as their skin touched, a vision of sorts came over her. She couldn't see anything, but feelings filled her insides. Foreign feelings, his feelings. Anger, joy, grief, bloodlust. And a name. Niklaus.

Tallie opened her eyes, and looked up at Elijah, who was staring at her with raised eyebrows. She tried to pull her hand away but he stopped her, tightening his grip on her hand. Her heart began to race, she could always scream, there had to be someone close enough to hear her. She looked over to a vase on the ledge behind him, concentrating on it, she caused it to explode. Enough to hopefully warn Elijah to back off, but not enough to cause any damage to him.

"I'm not going to hurt you" he said, "You're a witch"

"And you're a vampire" she said, "Now that we've covered the basics, what do you want?"

"Nothing" he said, "I find, that it's always good to know one's potential allies, or enemies"

"Who said I'd be either?" She asked him, her eyes narrowing

"You are friends with Elena Gilbert" he said, "Are you not?"

Tallie nodded to him, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't trust Elijah as far as she could throw him.

"Then" he said, "You must be my ally, as we are both interested in her safety"

"And, what happens" she said, unfolding her arms as she took a few steps towards him, "When you are no longer interested in her safety?"

"I made a deal with her" he told Tallie, "I will go through with the deal. I am a man of my word"

His promises of honour meant little to Tallie, she'd seen too many people go back on their word. She knew how little a promise could mean to someone. But somehow, she knew he was telling the truth. But the unreliability of her gift meant that it did not calm the uneasiness she felt.

"You better" she said, "I'd prefer to keep my enemies to a minimum" she told him, "And by that, I mean keep at the current number of none"

"As would I," he said

"You're too old to not have enemies," she said, "Your closets probably bursting with skeletons"

"So, you do know who I am" he said

"Vaguely" she said, "You're Elijah, an original, super old"

"A thousand years old" he said

"Well" she said, "They definitely aren't lying about the whole immortality thing"

"No, they are not" he said

"What are you doing here?" He asked, "You hardly seem the type"

Tallie raised an eyebrow at Elijah, not fully believing that he had actually just said that to her. She supposed, that he had gotten too used to speaking to people in any way he pleased. It's not like he would have anyone to be afraid of. Everyone was afraid of him.

"My father brought me" she said, "He's into these kinds of things, decided to drag me along"

"Your father likes the history of Mystic Falls?" he asked

"He likes to spend time with people" she said, "He comes to these things to meet new people, make friends. An enjoyment I did not inherit"

"You don't like to spend time with people?" He asked

"I'm not overly fond of meeting new people" she said, "It's...too much effort"

"How long have you been living in Mystic Falls?" he asked

"Not long" she said, "What about you? Is this your first time visiting this quaint town?"

"I have been here before" he said, "A very long time ago"

"You're not going to elaborate on that," she said, "Are you?"

"I'm afraid not" he said, "That's a skeleton that's not coming out of my closet"

"They always do" she said, "No skeletons stay in the closet, some even dance out"

"An interesting philosophy" he said, "Especially for someone as young as yourself"

"Just because I'm young, doesn't mean that I don't have skeletons in my closet and secrets I wish to remain unknown" she said, "Now, what is the purpose of this conversation?" she asked, "Because I don't think you just wanted to have a leisurely chat with me"

"It pays to know people," he said,

"Fair enough" she said, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth, but she also knew that he was not going to tell her the truth, "It was nice meeting you," she said, taking a few steps away from him

"You too" he said, "Miss Nightingale"

Elijah nodded his head, before beginning to move away, leaving Tallie extremely confused.

"How do you know my last name?" she asked, but he did not answer, he just continued walking

"Elijah" she called out, causing him to stop and turn to look at her, "Who's Niklaus?"

Something flickered in Elijah's eyes, it was only for a second, and then his gaze was back to its stoicism. But she could've sworn she saw something. Sadness, regret, possibly even love. Whoever Niklaus was, he had affected Elijah immensely.

"No one you need know," he said, before turning his back to her once more and walking away

Tallie was left standing in the hallway, confused about the entire conversation. But her interest had been peeked; she wanted to know more about Elijah, and the illusive Niklaus.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked the chapter, please review and tell me what you think. Merry Christmas to everyone, hope you have a wonderful day.<strong>


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